Combination road machine



Sept. 7, 1937.

D. KROUT COMBINATION ROAD MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 15, 1934 Fwy-i Attomey Dez Z e WM Sept. 7, 1937. KRQUT 2,092,458

COMBINATION ROAD MACHINE Filed Nov. 15, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I nuentor Sept. 7, 1937. D. KRQUT 2,092,458

COMBINATION ROAD MACHINE Filed NOV. 15, 1934 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I nventor Bale fi rouf Attm'ney Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention is a combination. road machine for use on any type of macadam road as a stone spreader or finishing machine, being especially adapted for use in the spreading of stone or laying the mix in place to provide a black top or plant mixed top for the road.

A further object of the invention is to provide a road machine of this character which may be used as a trailer for the truck carrying the material that is to be spread by the machine on the road bed.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a machine of the character above mentioned a hopper and adjustment means therefor whereby the depth of the material being spread on the road may be regulated.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a machine of this character an improved strikeoffblade together with-means for driving the blade from the rear axle.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a study of the following description taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of an endless track. 1

Figures 4 and 5 are detailed sectional views taken substantially onthe lines 4-4 and 5-5 respectively of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals it will be seen that the machine comprises a frame consisting of side members l connected at their rear ends by across bar II and inwardly from said rear ends by a cross bar [2 that serves to brace the side members Ill.

The front of the frame is supported by rollers I3 and these rollers-orwheels lz3-are journaledion axles carried by vertical screw threaded bars M;

The bars or rods l4 extend vertically-through the eyes formed in brackets p15 that are secured to and extend forwardly -:f11om the ;side. members I 0 1 of the frame. Upped-and :lower lock nuts iii are provided for securing the screw rods at the desired ;vertical ;-adjustment.; The rods I.4\ are loose in the eyes'ofhthe bracketsrqlsoas vto rotate to permit. aturning of thewheels l3v-.either v to the right. ,or-left. Suitably connectedwith the:

rods are the arms ll and L8 and connecting rods [9, and 2!] connect the,arms to; iarms 'connected' with'a transverse shaft 2|, suitablyymounted'inf aqmanner hereinafter: made manifest, ,so that whenlthe shaft 121 is rocked-"the wheels-l3 will be turned toward the. right oraleftias foundde sirable. For rocking the shaft 2| to change the direction of travel of the device toward the right or left there is provided a hand lever 22 pivotally mounted on one frame side l0 and connected with an arm on the shaft 2| through the medium of a link 23. a

Extending between and supported from the sides of the frame and about the center of the frame is a hopper 24 which on its forward wall is provided with bearing brackets 25 in which is journaled the aforementioned shaft 2!. Material from the hopper 24 gravitates to the ground to be spread upon the road bed within the confines of a form, indicated generally by the reference numeral 26. The form 26 includes opposed side members 21 supported for vertical movement by the guides 36 depending from the side members of the frame, each side member 21 is yieldingly held with its lower edge against the road surface by a spring 35.

As will be seen both the front and rear walls of the hopper slope downwardly and towards the rear, with the front wall having a greater slope than the rear wall. A plate 28 is supported from the lower edge of the front wall for adjustment towards and away from the road surface by the bolt and slot connections shown generally at 30, the plate forming a continuation of the front Wall of the hopper and a plate 29 forms a continuation of the rear wall of the hopper and is adjustable towards and away from the road surface by a screw shaft 3|, supported for rotary movement in a bracket 32 at the upper end of the rear wall of the hopper and held against longitudinal movement by the collars 34. The lower end of the shaft passes through a threaded hole in the bracket 33 attached to the plate 29 so that by rotating the shaft 3| by means of its handle 3l -A, ,the plate 29; can .be 'raised or lowered. .Asr willbe understood; these plates 28; and 29, provide means for regulating the amount. ofthe material discharging; upon the road surface \from' the hopper. :As will ,be seen from- Figurel, two-of the shafts 3i arefprovided for ad: justingtheplate 29. i 1 Disposed Verticallyand atone sidez of the brace member l2--is a plate 31-, and rearwardly vof the plate; 3,? there are secured to and; extend down-V wardly fromthe memberl2a'guide plates 38 that aresuitably braced byirods 39i, Disposedrear r. a wardly of and 'inspaced parallelism to the lower portion of the plate :31 is a plate 40 that is secured to-the plate 31 through' themedium'of" bolt and nut means 41.: Ont-he bolts 4| are'spacer, sleeves that serve, to:space,the plates- 3=l,and; 40,'

which latter accommodate therebetween a reciprocating strikeoff blade 42. The blade 42 extends transversely of the form 26 between the sides 21 of the form and has reduced ends which pass through slots 21' in the said side members 21. As will be seen, each form member 21 is of elongated shape and extends from a point adjacent the front side of the hopper to a point well in rear of the spreader assembly, and the front portions of these side members are held between the front guides 36 and the side walls of the hopper. At its lower edge the blade is provided with an angle piece 43 secured thereto by bolts and other suitable fastening means and serving as a shoe. Also secured to the blade 42 is a yoke-like member or frame 44. Said blade 42 is provided with slots, 43' for accommodating the bolts 4| through the medium of which the blade 42 is supported for reciprocatory movement transverse to the line of travel of the machine.

For reciprocating the blade 42 the rear axle 45 of the machine has a chain and sprocket drive connection 46 with a shaft 41 mounted in a frame 48 that extends inwardly or forwardly from the rear frame member Also mounted in the frame 48 is a shaft 49 that is driven from the shaft 41 through the medium of gearing 50. On the free end of the shaft 49 is a disk 5| provided with an eccentric pin. Connecting the eccentric pin of the disk 5| with the frame 44 of the blade 42 is a connecting rod 52. Thus it will be seen that power from the axle is transmitted to the shaft 41 and from the shaft 41 to the shaft 49 for causing through the eccentric means just described continuous reciprocatory movement of the blade 42 for leveling the material as it discharges onto the road bed within the confines of the form 26.

Supporting the rear end of the frame of the machine are spaced endless flexible tracks indicated generally by the reference numeral 53. Each of the tracks 53 comprises a suitable frame structure 54 provided as at 55 to receive the axle 45. The frame structures 54 are suspended from the end frame member H by suitable suspension devices indicated generally by the reference numeral 56. Suitably journaled in the frames 54 are front and rear wheels or rollers 51, 58 and an intermediate wheel 59 that is mounted on the axle 45. Trained over the wheels 51 and 59 is an inner endless belt 60 while an outer tread belt 6| is trained over the wheels 51 and 58.

For taking up slack in the tread belt 6| each endless track has the axle for its wheel 58 slidably as well as rotatably mounted in the frame 54 and engaged with the ends of the axle are suitable adjusting devices 62 as best shown in Figure 3.

It will be apparent that in actual practice the material to be spread on the road bed is placed in the hopper 24. As the machine is drawn behind a truck-or other suitable draft device the material by gravity will passfrom the hopper 24 onto the road bed within the confines of the form 26. As the machine is moved over the road bed'drive is transmitted from the axle 45 to the blade 42 through the mechanism herein described in detail so that the blade will be continuously reciprocated in a line across the path of travel of the machine for spreading the material evenly to provide an even surface.

It is to be understood that the side members 21 hereinbefore described are held against the guide 36 by conventional bolt and slot connections similar to the bolt and slot connection 30 illustrated near the left hand end of Figure 5; and it is also to be understood that the plate 29, Figure 5, is held against the rear wall of the hopper by guide plates 38b similar to the before mentioned guide plate 38.

For adjusting the elevation of the blade 42 relatively to the ground there are provided adjusting screws or shafts 62 that have ends 6211 equipped with handles as shown. The screws 62 are supported for rotary movement and held against longitudinal movement in the upper ends of brackets 63 rising from the frame member l2, by the collars 64. The lower ends of the screws 62 pass through threaded openings in brackets 65 provided on one side of the vertically moveabie plate 31. Obviously by rotating the members 62 the plate 31 may be raised or lowered for adjusting the elevation of the blade 42 and for securing the same at the desired adjustment. Plate 31, it will be understood, is trained to move vertically between the guide members 38 and 38a that are secured to and depend from the frame member l2.

It will also be apparent that in actual practice the wheels l3 at thefront end of the machine may be adjusted so that one side of the device may run in a trench while the other rides on the old pavement as would be necessary for example in the widening of old pavements. Also, the front wheels [3 may be reversed or swung outwardly so as to permit the machine to run close to the curb and at the same time so spaced from the curb as to guard against the strikeoff blade striking forcibly against the curb. Also, the form 26 serves to hold the material in place and to prevent undue spreading of the material as it gravitates from the hopper onto the road bed.

As will be seen from Figure 5, the lower end edges of the sides of the hopper are spaced above the road surface, but these spaces are closed by the front portions of the form members 21. It will also be seen that the spreader assembly is located well in rear of the hopper, so that the spreader blade will not contact the material being deposited uponthe road from the hopper until it has had time to settle after being agitated by the lower edge of the member 29.

Having thus described the invention. what is claimed as new is:

1. In an apparatus for spreading road material upon roads, a supporting frame, a hopper supported therein and extending therefrom and having its lower end spaced above the road surface, a pair of elongated form members located, one at each side of the frame, and having their front ends arranged slightly in front of the front of the hopper, with the members extending rearwardly well beyond the rear of the hopper, guide means carried by the frame for guiding said form members for vertical movement, yieldable means for normally holding the form members with their lower edges against the road surface, and the front guide members holding the frontportions of the form members against the side walls of the hopper.

2. An apparatus for spreading road material upon roads, comprising a wheel supported frame, a hopper carried by the frame and depending therefrom and having its lower end spaced above the road surface, a pair of elongated form members extending from a point adjacent the front of the hopper to a point well beyond the rear of the hopper, guide members depending from the frame for guiding the form members for vertical movement, said guide members holding the front rear of the rear part 01' the hopper, said form members having vertical slots therein through which the ends of the screed reciprocating the screed.

pass, and means for DALE KROUT. 

